Cape, Winelands, Whale Coast & Karoo

Africa’s 'Mother City' welcomes you with abundant gourmet and cultural attractions - as well as a double helping of natural beauty. Collect your hire car at Cape Town International Airport and make your way to the Constantia Winelands and your home for the next four nights, The Cellars-Hohenort.

If you prefer to take an airport transfer to the hotel, your hire car will be delivered there.

Settle in and freshen up, before taking a strolling around the tranquil landscaped gardens. This sumptuous boutique hotel is home to one of South Africa’s internationally acclaimed restaurants, The Greenhouse, which has been selected in the World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s Africa category. Your Safari Expert will be able to suggest plenty of exciting activities in Cape Town, from visiting Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens to shopping for souvenirs at the V&A Waterfront.

There is so much to see and do in Cape Town: catch a cable-car ride to the top of Table Mountain, sip sundowners on the Camps Bay's Strip or hop aboard a scenic sunset yacht cruise.

The Cellars is located in the Constantia winelands and on day two, you will gear up for a tour of the historic vineyards when you combine sublime wine tasting with lush gardens, beautiful views, lovely food and classic Cape Dutch architecture. 

On day three, saddle up for either a half or a full day's cycling through the picturesque Constantia Winelands, home to South Africa's oldest wine estates that date back to 1685. Peddling through the vineyards, you will have the backdrop of Table Mountain on one side and views to False Bay on the either. Pop in at whichever estate's take your fancy - perhaps being lucky enough to sample Vin de Constance, a wine beloved by Napoleon, Bismarck and Frederick the Great, at Klein Constantia.

Your journey continues at an easy pace along the Western Cape’s pretty coastline. In less than 90 minutes' drive from Cape Town, you reach the holiday town of Hermanus and the start of spectacular land-based whale watching in season (July to September).

Another 30 minutes from there, and you check into 5-star accommodation at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve for three nights.

The immense natural beauty of this area is framed by the lodge’s contemporary stone-and-glass architecture, its interiors as elegant and luxurious as the panoramic views are stunning. You are surrounded by the exquisite Cape Floral Kingdom, gulls twirl in the vast blue overhead and surf drums on the wild shoreline. 

Discover the wonders of fynbos as the Grootbos guide takes you on a champagne nature drive through the park and a walk through an ancient milkwood forest to see thousand-year-old trees. During whale season, you may see migrating southern right whales with their calves off shore and close by, the nesting grounds of rare African penguins and noisy gathering of Cape fur seals.

Three nights later, Route 62 beckons and you head into the Little Karoo to the beautiful Breede River Valley, a land of rugged beauty and malaria-free Big 5 game viewing. Your home for three nights is Dwyka Tented Lodge in the Sanbona Private Game Reserve.

Surrounded by indigenous flora, towering mountains, wild rivers and remote vineyards, Sanbona unites the elements that give the Western Cape its exceptional natural beauty. On game drives and guided walks you seek out the resident Big 5 and hope to encounter Sanbona's free-roaming rare white lions.

Your last stop is at a World Heritage Site in the foothills of the Cederberg Mountains, a picturesque three-hour drive from Grootbos. Bushmans Kloof is a wellness retreat that delivers rest and relaxation in a glorious fynbos setting populated by zebra and antelope.

Explore on mountain bikes and on foot, your expert guide revealing the hidden treasures of this pristine wilderness, which include ancient rock art dating back over 10 000 years. Your guide takes you to caves where San once lived, where the rock still shelters the mystic artistry of these First People. If you visit between about Seprember and October, you may see this wilderness dressed in a riot of colour as fields of wild flowers bloom as far as the eye can see.

Your final day on tour takes a last scenic 4-hour drive along the rugged West Coast, bringing you full circle back to the Mother City. Spend your day shopping or relaxing on the beach, before returning your car at the airport and beginning your journey home.